Tonight
by Whitefeather
Summary: It's Serena's birthday, and she only has one wish... to be with the one she loves.


Tonight  
  
AN- Inspired by my cousin, who got engaged a day before my birthday (today). I love you Christina, congratulations on the engagement!!! This is for you.  
  
I don't own anyone. And btw- I know you can get married at 16 in SM, but for my purposes, it's 18.  
  
FLUFFYNESS ALERT!  
  
  
  
These are the moments I thank god that I'm alive. And these are the moments I'll remember all my life. I have all I've waited for And I could not ask for more. ~Edwin McCain 'I Could Not Ask for More'  
  
June 30th. My birthday. Today. I'm turning 18 in five minutes- at midnight, exactly. I should be happy- I'm allowed to do all the things today. Last week he came back, and I was hoping he'd ask me then; but I've always wanted to do- to vote, to be an adult. but I never imagined I'd be alone for this- alone in the only place in the world that mattered to me. All day was spent with my friends. but I only wanted him. My true love. My Darien.  
  
Dear Diary, Last week, he came back for me. He just appeared, at my doorstep, with flowers and chocolates. We spent a week together, him telling me how much he loved me. Telling me how we were meant to be together until forever and beyond. I kept wondering if he was going to ask me to marry him. Because he wanted me. Because I wanted him. Because I love him. He took me to the starlight tower, where we first fell in love. He told me he loved me, then said he was going to give me my gift. I was so excited, just knowing that he was going to propose. But he pulled out a huge stuffed Bunny, and then said his plane was coming in soon. I've never cried as hard as I did that night.  
  
The year when I'm allowed to be married. The year when I'm allowed to be wed to the man I've loved for all eternity. For this lifetime, for all lifetimes. I was kinda hoping that he'd ask me to marry him today; it's always been one of my dreams to be proposed to on my birthday. To become queen on my birthday. And he knew it- he was talking about I with me last week when he came back. But he is away today, halfway across the world. He was here last week, since this week, today exactly, he's taking the test to join the number one grad school. If he makes it in, he's one of the most elite doctors in the world. One of the most elite students in the world. He's refusing to miss this- he was begging me to let him go. I let him only because it's his dream, and I share dreams with him- it's my dream for him to be happy. One of our dreams had to give.  
  
This morning, the girls 'kidnapped' me and brought me to this little café on Main St. I was wearing only my pajamas, and it was somewhat embarrassing- but it was fun. We hung out eating Belgian waffles, listening to Ami's stories about the German doctor's school, Mina's trips to Canada since she took the producer up on the record deal she won, Raye's temple- hopping in South America, Lita's cooking school in Italy, Hotaru's law school in Russia, Haruka's racing in South Africa, Michiru's shows in Venice, and Setsuna's fashion school in the US. It's so funny, how each had so many stories about their trips and their dreams- how each of them had their dreams coming true already. Believe it or not Ami, Mina and Lita were engaged. Raye was dating Chad still and close to engagement, Haruka and Michiru were still dating, and Hotaru and Setsuna. they were both still single, almost thankfully. But they all had so many stories to tell, about everything.  
  
Everything was so perfect for them, and they thought the same went for me. But I had been to afraid to tell them the truth- I made sure to put on my grandmother's old diamond ring, and kept hinting at me being engaged. The girls all loved me so much- they all went on and on about how the wedding was going to go, and how they expected it. They didn't know that the ring was fake. They didn't even know that Darien was overseas- I told them that he was out for the day. They believed me.  
  
For lunch, we wandered into a market and ate whatever we could eat. We talked about whatever was left from earlier, and reminisced about the times long passed- about Beryl, Diamond, Pharaoh 90, Nehelania, Galexia. everyone. Everything. Except for the thing, the one I wanted to talk about most. Darien. And Rini. My family. The ones who weren't here. Who I needed. When we were finished with the festival, we wandered to the Crown Arcade. My friends had actually gotten the starlights to return- they appeared to me with a song about life, beauty, and death. As beautiful as it was, it made me cry. I didn't want Seiya, I wanted Darien. My love.  
  
Seiya knew me too well, and after singing, she pulled me aside. I told her the truth, and she swore at Darien. Seiya still loved me more than anything, and I knew she just wanted to protect me. But I only loved Darien. I wanted him here. Now. I wanted the last few weeks to be fake, for Darien to come back and laugh at me for not knowing him so well. I wanted him to hold me in his arms. I wanted his ring, not my grandmothers.  
  
Love, Serena  
  
Five minutes until my birth time. Until I'm officially 18, an adult. Happy happy joy joy. I'm at the Starlight tower, where he gave me the bunny. Where we found out about each other. Where some of our best and worst memories lay. Where I want to be with him.  
  
Four minutes now. Tears race down my face, feeling like the rain of a thousand showers. It makes me wonder, truly, if my tears would ever reach the ocean, and become part of something so much larger. Or if they would just die out, like me, and become the hollow shells like the rain that falls like a million tears of time long gone. Amidst my tears and shortcomings, a single thing broke my thoughts. A single, light, beautiful thing. A rose petal. The petal made me look suddenly up, and turn around much like the time when he returned from Galexia. I held myself close, and saw what was behind me. My thoughts and life froze.  
  
It was Darien, standing smiling, with a small box in his hand. That moment, the lights from the tower lit the top room, and a beautiful song began to ring out through my ears. He told me, in a soft voice, that the test meant nothing to him and I meant the world, and he was sorry that he forgot for that second. it was the starlights singing, with Michiru and Haruka playing and Mina and Raye singing. the other girls all smiling, so beautiful. he walked to me and, with little problem, went down to one knee and offered me the box. It was a ring, a beautiful diamond ring, with crystal and silver and platinum and everything else in the world. And I received the best gift in the world.  
  
"Will you marry me, Serenity?"  
  
'And these are the moments I know heaven must exist. And these are the moments I know all I need is this. I have all I've waited for And I could not ask for more.' 


End file.
